Picture this: you’re a young father with an incredible career ahead of you in the world of AFL (Australian Football League). You’re about to have it all – fame, fortune, success – but at what cost? Well, for Leigh Matthews, that cost came in the form of missed family time and the lingering feeling of guilt that remains to this day.

In a recent candid interview on the Neil Mitchell Asks Why podcast, Matthews opens up about the regrets he harbors from his early career days. “I look back on it with some regret,” he said, talking about the time spent away from his two daughters, who are now both 50 years old. “They would’ve almost regarded football as the enemy,” he added, “That was the thing that took their dad away from them.”

Over the course of his 16-year playing career with Hawthorn, Matthews claimed four Premiership flags, as well as another four as a coach for Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions. While these accomplishments are nothing to scoff at, the cost of focusing so much on his success weighed heavily on Matthews.

“I was a very young father. I was a teenage father,” he admitted, “But I was so focused on my success and my career that you … look back on it, and you just didn’t spend enough quality time or quality concentration on your family.”

Matthews also reflected on the kind of player he was during his younger years, describing himself as “callously brutal.” He would’ve rather kicked “eight goals in the losing side” than score zero goals in a winning side, a mindset he recognizes is different from his current perspective in his 70s.

Now, in the golden years of his life, Matthews is widely recognized as one of the best AFL players of the 20th century, with an induction to the AFL Hall of Fame in 1965. He currently spends his time as an AFL commentator.

So, what can we take away from Matthews’ introspection on his earlier years? Perhaps that the relentless pursuit of success and glory comes with its own sacrifices, and it’s essential to find a balance between career aspirations and spending time with the people who truly matter – our family.